The Order of a Wedding Processional

January 4th, 2010

Organizing a wedding can be a bit confusing. In what order should everyone walk down the aisle? How do I line up my bridesmaids? What do I do with the mother of the bride? Do the groomsmen walk at all? These are some of the commonly asked questions by brides everywhere. To sort it all out, here is what you need to know about the order of the wedding processional.

Think of the wedding processional as more than a way to get people from one end of an aisle to another. It is an integral part of the wedding ceremony, not as important as the exchange of marriage vows of course, but still significant. The idea is that the processional builds anticipation until the grand moment when the bride is revealed in her beautiful white gown, long flowing veil, and dazzling bridal jewelry. This is why it pays to spend a little time to get it all right, and why wedding rehearsals are so important.

The processional begins when the groomsmen begin their march down the aisle. The groomsmen are followed by the bridesmaids. Traditionally, they walk in pairs, but in many weddings, bridesmaids will march single file, especially when the wedding party is not particularly large or the aisle very wide. The last of the bridesmaids to march is the maid of honor. If there is a ring bearer, he is next in line, followed by the flower girl, who traditionally scatters petals upon which the bride will walk.

Once everyone else has completed their trip down the aisle, the bride and her escort begin their march. As this is a central moment in the ceremony, they should wait until all the last member of the bridal party has reached the altar and is standing still; no one wants their view of the bride blocked by a bridesmaid. Then it is time for the bride and her father, or both parents in the case of a Jewish wedding, to make their way to the altar, and the marriage ceremony can begin.

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